2011 athletics season

The highlight of the world athletics season will be the World Athletics Champs in Daegu, South Korea, this summer, so it will be interesting to see how the athletes perform in the meets leading up to this high-level meet....

The first event of the season was the Millrose Games, held in New York last month. This indoor meet was billed as a US vs Jamaica sprint challenge, and both 60m races, plus the women's 60m hurdles, were won by Jamaicans:

In Moscow, Kim Collins of St Kitts won the menís 60m in 6.60sec, split on the photo from Joshua Norman the runner-up who was given the same time. Peter Emelieze (NGR) and Marc Burns (TRI) shared third place in a blanket finish.

Clarke won again in the 60m at Paris, this time beating Rodgers, with Kim Collins third, and Lemaitre finishing way down the track....

'Saint Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins equalled the best time of the year in the men's 60 metres in a time of 6.52sec. The 34-year-old Collins, the world 100m champion in 2003, equalled the time set by Jamaican Nesta Carter, set in New York on January 28. "A new best time, excellent!," beamed Collins. "I wasn't expecting that here, the competition I was facing was pretty good."'

Jamaican Lerone Clarke won the 60m final at Karlsruhe with a PB of 6.52, ahead of Trinidad's Marc Burns second in 6.56. Pre-race favourite Kim Collins of St Kitts-Nevis faded into fourth, while American Mike Rodgers false-started and was DQ-ed.

Americans Kellie Wells and David Oliver convincingly won the 60m hurdles, with Jamaicans Vonette Dixon and Dwight Thomas third and fifth respectively....

"Former 100 metre world record holder Asafa Powell anchored the MVP club team to a record 38.53 seconds win at Saturday's Milo Western Relays meet at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay, St. James. The team also included Ainsley Waugh and Olympic medalist, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater."

In Birmingham yesterday, Jamaica's Novlene Williams won the women's 400 in a time of 51.87, ahead of American-soon-to-be-Brit Shana Cox, while American Rodgers won the men's 60m in a time of 6.50, with Kim Collins of St Kitts coming second (6.53), Jamaica's Clarke third (6.54) and Trinidadian Burns fourth (6.55).

"YOHAN Blake was in fine form in the men's 200metres Olympic Development race, while organisers found themselves with a meet running three hours behind schedule at yesterday's ninth staging of the UWI Track and Field Invitational at the UWI Usain Bolt Track. Blake headed a top-three finish for Racers Track Club, bounding to an easy 20.39 seconds victory, finishing 10 metres ahead of his closest rival. Kenroy Anderson posted 20.66 for second place and Edino Steele 20.71 for third. World Championship relay medallist Shereefa Lloyd won the women's 200m Olympic Development race in 23.83 seconds ahead of MVP's Christine Day, 24.07, and Nadia Cunningham of Racers, 24.31."

"Tracey made no bones about asserting herself as she opened up a wide gap over second place to post a new record 55.81 seconds to win the 400m hurdles open, bettering the 56.55-second mark set by Melaine Walker in 2001 and improving on the silver medal she won last year when she lost to her sister Nikita. Vere Technical's Olivia James ran 59.01 for second with Holmwood's Janieve Russell third in 59.06."

Some great results all over in all 4 classes but of particular note are:

Travis Smickle SHATTERING Jamaica's Junior Record in the discuss 66.88 making him the 3rd best thrower in Junior History. He is only bettered by Ukraine's Mykyta Nesterenko, who did 70.13 (world record) and 69.38, along with Margus Hunt of Estonia (67.32).

Ristananna Tracey from Edwin Allen did a SUPERB triple! 400m 52.38s won by almost 3 seconds 55.26 by Bennett of Manchester High. She also ran the 800m in 2:05.95 winning by about 4 seconds 2:09.01 from team mate Monteque. And the most startling of her 3 results... a world leading 55.81 in the 400mH winning shattering the previous record held by current World and Olympic Champion Melanie Walker! All three results are PB's.

Arguable the best 400m junior out there still 16 and still very much a youth athlete. The Holmwood girl's star athlete Chris-Ann Gordon shattered the former champs record in the 400m Class 2 girls final and also ran the fastest 400m girls time for the entire championships 51.62, the old record formerly held by Sonita Sutherland at 52.41. This is her first year in Class 2 and should have one more year left to stamp her authority in it. She also came 2nd in the 800m finals in 2:13.01 which was after being spiked and almost bumped off the track with about 200m to go and almost limping the rest of the way to finish in 2nd.